Installation of jet engines in engine bays



Nov. 16, 1965 E. E. CHILVERS INSTALLATION OF JET ENGINES IN ENGINE BAYS FiledApril 29, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 16, 1965 E. E. CHILVERS 3,217,490

INSTALLATION OF JET ENGINES IN ENGINE BAYS Filed April 29, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 16, 1965 E. E. CHILVERS INSTALLATION OF JET ENGINES IN ENGINE BAYS FiledApril 29, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,217,490 INSTALLATION OF JET ENGINES IN ENGINE BAYS Ernest Edward Chilvers, Dutlield, Derby, England, as-

signor to Rolls-Royce Limited, Derby, England, a company of Great Britain Filed Apr. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 276,609 Claims priority, application Great Britain, May 16, 1962, 18,948/ 62 9 Claims. (Cl. 60--39.31)

This invention concerns the installation of jet engines in engine bays.

According to the present invention there is provided an installation comprising a jet engine installed in an engine bay, the engine and the engine bay being respectively provided with relatively movable members which are in engagement with each other, the relatively movable members being relatively movable between an inoperative position in which the engine may be installed in or may be removed from the engine bay and an operative position in which the engine is supported by the said relatively movable members in the engine bay, and means for effecting relative movement of the relatively movable members between, and for retaining them as required in, the operative and the inoperative positions.

In its preferred form, the installation comprises a jet engine installed in an engine bay, there being pivotally mounted in the engine bay a plurality of engine support members each of which is pivotable between an inoperative position in which the engine may be installed in or removed from the engine bay and an operative position in which it engages the engine, or means carrying the engine, so asto support the latter, and means for pivotally moving the engine support members between, and for retaining them as required in, the operative and the inoperative positions.

Preferably theengine is provided with a'plurality of pivoted guide members each of which is movable along a track formed or provided in the engine bay,' each of the guide members engaging an engine support member which is provided with a portion of the respective track.

Each guide member is preferably provided with at least one roller which engages said track." Means are, moreover, preferably provided for resiliently urging each guide member into contact with the respective engine support member. I

Preferably the guide members are pivotally mounted on a yoke member in which the engine is carried. In this case, the engine bay is preferably provided with an abutment member against which the yoke memberis brought when the engine"is"'insta'lled.

The engine and the engine'bay may be respectively provided with mutually cooperating parts which are such, and are so arranged that, they are automatically brought into operative engagement with each other when the engine is correctly installed in the engine bay.

The said mutually engageable parts may be parts of one or more fluid conduits. .Thus the said parts of the or each fluid conduit may be provided with mutually engageable conical surfaces which are resiliently urged towards one another.

The engine is preferably a vertical lift engine i.e. an engine adapted to produce vertical lift forces on an aircraft independently of those generated aerodynamically by forward flight of the aircraft.

The invention is illustrated, merely by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of an installation according to the present invention, the installation comprising a vertical lift enginefor an aircraft installed in an engine bay;

3,217,490 Patented Nov. 16, 1965 FIGS. 2 and 3 are sections taken respectively on the lines 2-2 and 33 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of part of the structure shown in FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, an aircraft (not shown) is provided with a plurality of engine bays one of which is indicated in the drawings by the reference numeral 10.

Mounted in the engine bay 10 is a vertical lift gas turbine engine 11. The engine 11 has an engine casing 12 within which are mounted in flow series a compressor 13, combustion equipment 14, and a turbine 15, the turbine exhaust gases being downwardly directed through a short exhaust duct 16.

The engine casing 12 is provided with three bearing members 17 (FIG. 3) two of which are diametrically oppositely disposed and the third of which is disposed midway between the other two. In each of the bearing members 17 is mounted a trunnion pin 18.

Each of the trunnion pins 18 is formed integrally with a cup member 20, the three cup members 20 being mounted in a common yoke member 21.

Mounted within each cup member 20 is a cup member 22 which is urged outwardly of the cup member 20 by a spring 23.

Each cup member 22 has a part-cylindrical concave surface 24 (FIG. 2) within which is mounted a partcylindrical plate 25 which forms part of a guide member 26. Each plate 25 is pivotally connected to its respective trunnion pin 18.

Each of the guide members 26 comprise a pair of spaced plates 27 between which are rotatably mounted two spaced apart rollers 28, the plates 27 being spaced 3 apart by the respective plate 25. Each pair of rollers 28 is engagable with a vertically extending track 30. Part of each track 30 is provided on a'jm'ember 31 which is secured to a wall 32 of the engine bay 10, the remaining part of each track 30 being provided on an engine support member 33 which is mounted on a pivot 34.

The wall 32 also has secured thereto a bracket 35 which is provided with an abutment member 36, the abutment member 36 being engaged by the yoke member 21.

Each engine support member 33 is pivotally connected to a rod 37 which is provided with a screw jack 38 by means of which the rod 37 may be raised and lowered.

The engine support members 33 are movable by the rods 37 between, and are retainable in an inoperative position (shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2), in which the rollers 28 may roll over the engine support members 33 so as to permit the engine 11 to be installed into the engine bay 10 and to be removed therefrom, and an operative position (shown in full lines in FIG. 2) in which the engine support members 33 support the rollers 28 and the lower rollers 28 engage the yoke member 21 and so support the engine 11.

The installation includes (FIGURE '4) an air conduit having portions 43, 44, 45, air passing'through the said air conduit being employed to effect starting of the turbine 15.

The portion 43 is mounted on the engine 11, the portion 44 is an intermediate portion carried by the portion 45, and the portion 45 is fixed to the engine bay 10, the portion 45 being adapted to extend to a source of compressed air (not shown).

The portion 45 has a skirt 46 within which is mounted a spring 47. The spring 47 engages the portion 44 so as to urge a conical surface 50 thereof into sealing contact with a conical surface on the portion 43. The positions 43-45 are so arranged that they will be automatically coupled to each other when the engine 11 is correctly installed, no bolting of these portions together being necessary.

The engine 11 and the engine bay may, as disclosed in our co-pending United States patent application Serial Number 276,639, filed April 29, 1963, now abandoned, be provided with a member of other mutually engageable parts (not shown) which are automatically operatively engaged together when the engine 11 is correctly in stalled.

In operation, when it is required to install an engine 11 in position in the engine bay 10, the engine support members 33 are disposed in the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2 and a lifting tackle is secured to the intake end of the engine. The three pair of rollers 28 are engaged in their tracks 30 (the springs 23 taking account of any tolerances in the positions of the latter), and the engine 11 is lifted until the yoke member 21 abuts the abutment member 36.

The screw jacks 38 are then operated to cause the rods 37 to move downwardly, whereby the engine support members 33 will be pivoted into the full line position shown in FIG. 2 so as to support the engine 11. The lifting tackle is then removed from the yoke member 21.

Once the engine 11 is correctly installed, all, or substantially all, of the parts (such as the air conduit 43-45 and the air bleed conduit 52-53) which extend from the engine bay 10 to the engine 11 are automatically coupled together.

I claim:

1. An installation comprising an engine bay, a jet engine installed therein, a track disposed in the engine bay, a plurality of pivoted guide members which are secured to the engine and each of which is movable along the track, a plurality of engine support members each of which is engaged by a said guide member and each of which is provided with a portion of the respective track, each engine support member being pivotable between an inoperative position in which the engine may be installed in and removed from the engine bay and an operative position in which it supports the engine, and means for pivotally moving the engine support members between, and for retaining them as required in, the operative and the inoperative positions.

2. An installation as claimed in claim 1 in which each guide member is provided with at least one roller which engages said track.

3. An installation comprising an engine bay, a jet engine installed therein, a track disposed in the engine bay, a plurality of pivoted guide members which are secured to the engine and each of which is movable along the track, a plurality of engine support members each of which is engaged by a said guide member and each of which is provided with a portion of the respective track, each engine support member being pivotable between an inoperative position in which the engine may be installed in and removed from the engine bay and an operative position in which it supports the engine, and means for pivotally moving the engine support members between, and for retaining them as required in, the operative and the inoperative positions, and means for resiliently urging each guide member into contact with the respective engine support member.

4. An installation comprising an engine bay, a jet engine installed therein, a yoke member in which the engine is carried, a track disposed in the engine bay, a plurality of guide members which are pivotally mounted on the yoke and which are secured to the engine and each of which is movable along the track, a plurality of engine support members each of which is engaged by a said guide member and each of which is provided with a portion of the respective track, each engine support member being pivotable between an inoperative position in which the engine may be installed in and removed from the engine bay and an operative position in which it supports the engine, and means for pivotally moving the engine support members between, and for retaining them as required in, the operative and the inoperative positions.

5. An installation comprising an engine bay, a jet engine installed therein, a yoke member in which the engine is carried, a track disposed in the engine bay, a plurality of guide members which are pivotally mounted on the yoke and which are secured to the engine and each of which is movable along the track, a plurality of engine support members each of which is engaged by a said guide member and each of which is provided with a portion of the respective track, each engine support member being pivotable between an inoperative position in which the engine may be installed in and removed from the engine bay and an operative position in which it supports the engine, and means for pivotally moving the engine support members between, and for retaining them as required in, the operative and the inoperative positions, and an abutment member in the engine bay against which the yoke member is brought when the engine is installed.

6. An installation as claimed in claim 5 in which the means for pivotally moving the engine support members comprise a plurality of jacks, one for each engine support member.

7. An installation as claimed in claim 6 in which the engine and the engine bay are respectively provided with mutually cooperating parts which are automatically brought into operative engagement with each other when the engine is correctly installed in the engine bay.

8. An installation as claimed in claim 7 in which the said mutually engagable parts are parts of a fluid conduit.

9. An installationas claimed in claim 8 in which the said parts of the fluid conduit are provided with mutually engagable conical surfaces which are resiliently urged towards one another.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 785,420 3/1905 Grigsby 285--223 1,011,284 12/1911 Utz 285-375 2,783,003 2/1957 Ralston 248-5 2,944,766 7/ 1960 Freeding 6039.31 2,948,498 8/1960 Johnsen 24817 3,028,124 4/ 1962 Sammons 248-5 3,127,129 3/ 1964 Petrie 60-356 SAMUEL LEVINE, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN INSTALLATION COMPRISING AN ENGINE BAY, A JET ENGINE INSTALLED THEREIN, A TRACK DISPOSED IN THE ENGINE BAY, A PLURALITY OF PIVOTED GUIDE MEMBERS WHICH ARE SECURED TO THE ENGINE AND EACH OF WHICH IS MOVABLE ALONG THE TRACK, A PLURALITY OF ENGINE SUPPORT MEMBERS EACH OF WHICH IS ENGAGED BY SAID GUIDE MEMBER AND EACH OF WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH A PORTION OF THE RESPECTIVE TRACK, EACH ENGINE SUPPORT MEMBER BEING PIVOTABLE BETWEEN AN INOPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH THE ENGINE MAY BE INSTALLED 